A 2600 Grandmaster was Traxlered in 8 Moves

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In this video lesson, GM Igor Smirnov shows how a 2600-rated Grandmaster got defeated in the Traxler Counterattack. It was the game played between Jacek Tomczak and Al Mikhail Antipov.
The Traxler Counterattack, also known as the Wilkes-Barre Variation, is a chess opening variation in the Two Knights Defense that begins with the moves: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5. It is one of several ways Black can avoid the Fried Liver Attack.
You will learn how to counter both the White's moves 5.Bxf7+ and 5.Nxf7.
▬▬▬▬▬▬
► Chapters
00:00 Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack
00:37 5.Bxf7+, Bishop Sacrifice Line
01:30 Tactical blow out of nowhere
03:39 5.Nxf7 - what to do now?
05:21 Hunting the White's king
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#IgorNation #ChessOpenings #ChessTraps #OpeningTraps #FriedLiver

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

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[@tominmo8865]

The Traxler is such fun, please give us any other variations you have.

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Yes!

[@ultimatejoshua1082]

YES! He finally covered the traxler!

[@roz_rama]

More variations would be for sure very entertaining video. I actually tried traxler few times but i always struggled. I know stockfish can draw with traxler against another strong engine, but it seems difficult draw. Anyway, these openings are immensely entertaining !

[@Sweet_Jelly39]

That discover Checkmate👀🔥

[@rowlandsibakwe2039]

Igor my man..you Vidz inspires me

[@JFBassett2050]

Yes, give us more of the Traxler!! John Bassett

[@scotblust5390]

This is good stuff! Very useful. Love these tactics!!

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Thanks!

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

► Chapters 00:00 Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack 00:37 5.Bxf7+, Bishop Sacrifice Line 01:30 Tactical blow out of nowhere 03:39 5.Nxf7 - what to do now? 05:21 Hunting the White's king

[@stevensutton2252]

gotta give you itsh because wait a minute your saying the stafford and the petroff def and the trexler is good ha ha ha im bring you into chess and making to rediscover open games ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

[@lekshmysankar5443]

Pls pin this and put the other one in desc

[@DmitrySerbin]

I'm having fun with fried liver, but closing to 1600 people know how to respond, and a6 or h6 is pretty natural and easy way. So yes please, do traxler attack video

[@marco.trevisan]

Why avoiding it? I have a very high success ratio with black whenever they try the Fegatello against me. There are many traps that work well. Unfortunately, not many players try it at certain levels. While 40% try 4. Ng5 (once the position is ready for it) on Lichess at 1600, less than 30% try it at 2000 (FIDE's ~1700), and even less than 20% beyond that.

[@sweepyspud]

@@marco.trevisan what lines do you usually play against these Ng5 players?

[@josephsalmonte4995]

Whenever I try these traps, even 800's find the move that destroys them 😭

[@front331]

It's just a mess of a position to get into and requires precision. That's why most people play the Caro Kann, Sicilian or Scandinavian. Consider variations in the Scandi after 2..Nf6.

[@Fishy_17]

There’s only 1 move that dismantles the traxler, and it’s 5. Bxf7+ but black is still doing pretty fine.

[@iankemp1131]

@@Fishy_17 And as seen here, it doesn't dismantle it completely, only gives a small advantage in some lines. Qe8 looks a useful move. I wonder what White should do after it. Clearly he got it wrong here!

[@Fishy_17]

@@iankemp1131 That is true. By “dismantle” I was using hyperbole as did the original commenter. There really is no way to destroy the traxler, other than make the people who play it play normal chess, but that’s not really destroying, is it?

[@Archi00007]

Explaining helps a lot 🙏

[@desmyt67]

It looks cool! Upvoted for the sequel ^-^

[@DarkChess01]

Great Job!

[@shadyel-kashlan8897]

Hello igor, it is a fascinating video "as usual" since you make things pretty easy. Please post a video for a complete traxler attack & defense for both: white & black sides. Thanks a lot & have a pleasant day.

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Thanks for the suggestion.

[@DecrepitBiden]

Yes, plz more Traxler counter-attack.

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

👍

[@alejandroayalamaldonado2817]

Gracias.!!!

[@Wesley38292]

Hello GM, smirnov, its a 1 year subscribe to your channel, u wanna say thank you becuz ur teaching is very good, ur my fav chess coach from 300 elo to 1800 elo, thank u gm smirnov From: Philippines ❤❤

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Congrats. Good luck with further progress.

[@pieter2548]

Please show us more variations on the traxler attack.

[@iankemp1131]

Highly entertaining lines here both in the game (beautiful mate) and the variant. I learnt the Traxler ( Wilkes-Barre) many years ago but opponents never played Bc4/Ng5 against me! But Black sacs a lot of material so it can also go wrong. For over-the-board games I'd feel more comfortable with the main lines after d5 cxd5 and either Na5 or (in another of Igor's videos) Nd4!?

[@rlevans0602]

Another great video. I play pirc against e4 so I never encounter this.

[@Min2konto]

I love that nerdy humor: "this is clearly not good for white" (it's a checkmate) haha.

[@sittiekenjade9203]

What if after Kxf2 ,then Nxe4+, and Ke1, Qh4+, and g3 how to continue attacking the black

[@Fishy_17]

This is my favourite opening. Not many people know that Nxf7 is actually a forced draw.

[@FantasyFantasy934]

Why would you play nxf7 to take blacks inactive rook and make your own knight out of the game, better to play bxf7

[@Fishy_17]

@@FantasyFantasy934 Because it’s a good move if there was no Bxf2+, and also people think that they can refute it.

[@GroovyCODM]

Thats brutal!

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Indeed!

[@charleskuhn2277]

I regret that I can only give this one like. Good stuff

[@sonipolakian4256]

Nice video

[@YourFriendlyNeighborThanos]

I think there's a Bishop to b5 by the opponent, loses my Knight for no reason 5:32

[@Fishy_17]

Qd4#

[@papa-pete]

How dubious is this opening? What are the strongest counters?

[@Zywl]

please explain what is the best way for black in case they capture with the bishop instead of the knight

[@Fishy_17]

Gothamchess has a good video on it. Generally the queen goes to e8 and then g6, the rook goes to f8, you play d6 to open up the light-squared bishop and attack the white kingside. Often times you will play h6 to kick the knight. If they play Bb3 on move 6, there is a nice trap you can set up, where if they play Nf7, you play Qf8 and you have a better position. If they take on h8 you play Bxf2+ and either win their queen (if they play Kf1 or Ke2 there’s Bg5) or checkmate. Technically if they play Nf7 white can defend, but it is still tricky.

[@memeteam2016]

There is no best way, black is completely lost after that.

[@Fishy_17]

@@memeteam2016 Black is not lost really. A 49% win rate for black over 47% for white says so.

[@user-ej7sr3ow8b]

He sacrificed, the ROOOOOK!!!!!!

[@peterbrown6224]

Only 1,996 likes to go! Thank you, this shows how to win before you raise a sweat - if your opponent allows it.

[@chess_guru_011]

Sir do live commentary of FIDE world cup😊

[@shaihanghani2711]

Yeah...Traxler... More Traxler...! 😄

[@munashematangira4870]

Traxler gambit 🔥♟🥷

[@tominmo8865]

1. BxN Qd4##, for all the people in the comments who asked. He told us that at 5:30.

[@PaulvanAarle1]

@5:29 why not take the knight with the Bishop??

[@PaulvanAarle1]

Oops. Mate in 1, I see now.

[@kaimingraymondchoi9909]

4.23 why not K-d3?

[@Beery1962]

5:18 Why not N-f2? That way you triple-fork the rook, king and queen, so you capture the queen and give another check. Rook takes the knight, but you are way ahead in material and your opponent is completely undeveloped.

[@iankemp1131]

Nf2 would be good if it wasn't for the fact that you have a forced checkmate with the line played.

[@Beery1962]

@@iankemp1131 Yeah, I know, but I just think the other line is more fun.

[@Calbert-vn2vw]

But what if they did the knight not bishop??

[@tonymaurice4157]

Hard to believe but rather embarrassing for 2600 player

[@Despote00]

But what if Ke3 on 7th move?

[@GMBlunderfish1]

Nxf7 actually is strong (+1.5 for white).

[@ultimatejoshua1082]

Your engine is on low depth

[@ndumisomadonsela7157]

Why is this video so short!😢

[@deinulhouvum6156]

👍💪

[@melvinjennings5330]

What about 7. Kg1?

[@keithndlovu2328]

I am speechless, l will comment some other time. I just want digest what l just saw😢😢

[@johnhessom-lx1nt]

I've won quite a few games with the traxler!! I just reached 1499 for the second time, why is it so hard to get to 1500? (10 min)

[@ohyeahohyeah1071]

The real question is, what if the king doesn't take the bishop? Does that mean that all of this was for nothing?

[@slowlearner46]

Did you not watch the video?

[@ohyeahohyeah1071]

​@@slowlearner46 I'm not speaking of this particular situation, but the usual one: e4 e5; Nf3 Nc6; Bc4 Nf6; Ng5 Bc5; Nxf7 Bxf2+ What if white doesn't take the bishop in this situation?

[@Fishy_17]

@@ohyeahohyeah1071You should still be fine. If Ke2 then you’re winning with Nd4+. They have to go to d3 (which is the worst move) to avoid suffering an inferior version of Kf1 and Kxf2. If they decline the bishop sacrifice with Kf1, there is Qe7 Nxh8 d5 exd5 Nd4 d6 Qxd6 Nf7 Qe7. All of these moves are forced. Most engines say Qc5 before Qe7, but Qe7 is better. After Qe7, white has 3 options, h3, c3 and d3. I do not know what to do after h3, and I only know that after d3 there is Bg4 Qd2 Bh4 and the position is equal in all these positions. I do know more about c3 though, and the best moves for black and white after c3 are Bg5 Qa5+ Nd7 Kxf2 Qh5+ Kf1 Bh5 and black will have some perpetual with the queen on f4 and e4. If Ke3 instead of Kf1 there is Bf5, which also leads to a perpetual.

[@iankemp1131]

@@ohyeahohyeah1071 There's a load of complicated theory after 6 Kf1 which has been around for years (before engines) and is on a knife-edge for both sides. Black is supposed to be better in a lot of lines but it's easy to go wrong. I must admit I wouldn't risk the Traxler/Wilkes-Barre in a must-win game.

[@aayamkoirala]

Hello you should make vedio about how to counter every gambit and main principle but i always lose to lower rated plz give me an idea😢😢😢😢 after 25 days there is an tournament 😢😢 plz😢😢😢

[@Fishy_17]

They can’t gambit you if you gambit them first unless they play a countergambit but then you can countergambit their countergambit. On a more serious note, which openings do you need help with?

[@iankemp1131]

@@Fishy_17 Or, alternatively, why are they losing to lower rated players? Is it a weakness in tactics or strategy? If they're getting caught out by gambits in openings, should they adopt a more solid style? There's often much better ways to improve your game and results than studying loads of opening theory and traps.

[@imzee4307]

Strange enough I got badly Ass whooped today with trexler counter attack

[@Fishy_17]

That’s because it’s much better than people think. If it wasn’t for Bxf7+ it would be the best response to 4. Ng5.

[@nagendranayak3101]

🙂

[@roi2671]

😮

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

😮

[@tomtoss2463]

This proves that the so called grand master is just another book master with a photographic memory. Take him to a place where he is out of book and he plays just like a beginner. He has no over the board strength. A true grand master should be able to play through anything without resorting to databases and computers.

[@Min2konto]

Ehm, actually, this is circumstantial support to your expectation being wrong.

[@cikonianiggra1415]

4:21 - what about going off of the king - e3? Not explained. After Qh5 /black/ - Qf3 /plays white/.

[@kimbirch1202]

Why couldn't Bishop take the Knight?

[@Fishy_17]

When?

[@PaulvanAarle1]

That is M1, Qd4

[@kimbirch1202]

@Fishy_17 At 5.29 on the vid.

[@Fishy_17]

@@kimbirch1202 Yeah, as @PaulvanAarle1 said, it’s mate in 1.

[@kimbirch1202]

@@Fishy_17 Yep, I missed that one.

[@rand504]

Igor never fails to spread my cheeks

[@johnnyjoestar7216]

💀

[@bushidoh8316]

Wtf

[@joshkosecki1024]

Preach 🙌

[@khalidthegreat7005]

Sus

[@MajorAddiction]

AYOO

[@jason-4419]

Fine have a like and I'll even throw in a comment

[@user-xe7oh6fu1s]

It's a violation of the basic opening rules for GM Tomczak to move the same bishop back and forth before finishing development of his pieces and castling, for which he got punished.

[@cronoscraiss330]

How not to get 2000 likes.. 😂😅

[@Summeryear2008]

How do you get this position in a game? [Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "8/p6p/7p/p6p/b2Q3p/K6p/p1r5/rk3n1n w - - 0 1"]